Geology

The rocks exposed at Valley of Fire State Park also occur in a much less known but equally spectacular area a few miles to the southwest.

According to local lore, a flying dragon was blinded by a lighthouse and crashed, leaving a permanent mark on this island rock.

A family-owned store specializing in minerals, geodes, gemstones, and more.

This natural amphitheatre has been carved over millennia into the layered sedimentary rock of Karijini National Park.

An improbable sinkhole in the sediments flanking the Beaver Dam Mountains.

This sandstone marvel of nature is worth a stop along Highway 65.

The "Grand Canyon of Southwestern Idaho" makes a spectacular gash across the flat Snake River plain.

Rocky outcrops containing overhangs, caves, fissures, clefts, and alcoves that invite exploration and scrambling.

Off the beaten path along the coastline of Miura, a scenic cliff with an evocative name.

One of the few slot canyons in New Mexico, this area is fantastic for hiking, camping, and stargazing.

Two geologically young and nearly circular volcanic subsidence craters, each about a half-mile in diameter, abruptly break the nearly featureless Snake River Plain.

At certain times in the fall and winter, the sunlight makes this natural sandstone arch glow.

Once an erosional cave, this scenic arch was lifted up above the sea's surface by an earthquake.

An impressive site containing some of the earth’s rarest living fossils.

A mining camp built around an unexpected occurrence of silver.

This dry lake bed was once an emergency landing strip for military and experimental aircraft.

The bones of prehistoric animals and early signs of human habitation have been found inside Malta's "cave of darkness."